Toy electric locomotive



May 21, 1929. H. c. IVES TOY ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE Filed Jan. 18, 1926 INVENTOR.

rly Clues A T TORNEYS.

Patented May 21, 1929. V

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

HA RY c. IVES, or BRIDGEPORT, ooNNEoTIo 'AssIGNoR, .BY ivriisivn ASSIGNMENTS, To THE IVES CORPORATION, OF 'BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 01' CON 1\TECTIGUT. v

I TOY ELECTRIC LOCOMQTIVE.

Application filed January 1a, 1926. Seri aI No. 81,954.

. The present invention relates to an improved locomotive for toy trains, and has for an object to provide a construction in which the locomotive body or cab, unit may be securely attached to the motor frame, without the use of rivets, bolts, screws, or the like, and in which the two units will i be accurately aligned and rigidly supported and connected, so that they are'firmly and operatively connected. The connection between the cab body and motor frame has heretofore been made, to a great extent, by means of screws inserted through the units into securing relation, and frequent removal of the motor unit, and long use, has resulted in loosening of such screws, so that the units were apt to separate or loosen,'and separation of such units for repair or renewal was inconvenient. Another object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a locomotive construction by means of which the-motor unit may be quickly and easily removed from the body or cab for the purpose of repair or thelike, without the necessity of removing attaching means orberiding attaching lugs. To'thisenditis proposed, in the present embodiment, to provide means in the cab or body unit for theyreception of extra long axles to prevent relative vertical movement, and an opening adapted to interlockingly receive the motor unitto prevent ment.

Afurther object is to provide a locomotive body or cab unit which may befor'med of two pieces of sheet metal, in'which. the floor or truckframe portion is made to support-the cab member and is cut out to receive the motor unit which can be readily attached without the use of tools or machines, thereby greatly simplifying assembly.

, \Vith the above-and otherobjects in view, an embodiment'of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with referencethereto, and the inventionfwill be finallypointed out in the claims.

In thedrawings I Fig. 1 is a view, partly insideelevationand partlyin vertical section, of a toy train locomotive, according to the present embodiment of theinvention; I V 7 Fig. 2 is a sectionalplan view thereof, taken along the line 2 2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 8 is abottomplan' view oithe' base or relative horizontal or lateral movechassis for the sheet metal cab or body, partlybrokenaway; and V 1 Fig, 4 is a 'verticalsectional view of they locomotivetaken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the toy train locomotive, of the present embodiment, includesalocomotive truck frame or. chassis formed of a single piece of sheet metal and comprlsing a flat rectangular floor portion 10 having depending longitudinal side portions 11, 11 and depending end port-ions 12, 12 bent downwardly at right angles thereto, the lower edges of theside portions being inclined upwardly at each end, as at 13, and the relatively deep intermediate portions being provided with spaced and aligned axlereceiving apertures 14, the side portions being furthermore provided with openings 15 in semblance of the t-russed truck structure of a locomotive. Eyeletbearings 14 are provided in the apertures 14. i

. The floor portion 10 is provided with a central opening 16 of general rectangular shape, provlded atone end with an inwardly project ing rectangular portion 17 and at its other end, and in aligned relation with said portion 17,- W'ith, a rectangular recess .18, slightly Wider than saidportion 17 Centrally of the side. edges of the opening 16 there are provided inwardly projected portions 19' having slots 20 therein, these slots, together'with similarslots 21 in the floor portion adjacent each end, being for the attachment of the locomotive body or cab unit 22 by means of lugs 23 inserted through said slotsa-nd bent 1ogver upon the lower surface of the floor mem- The motor unit comprises a frame consistport-ed the"magnetic field 26 and rotor 27 mounted in side plates 29 secured at each side of the plates 24 and bent outwardly in spaced relation thereto. drive gear 28 which in turn drives gears 28 secured to the wheels 30 mounted on axles 31 journaled at their intermediate portions in and rejected at theirends for ing of vertically disposedside plates 24 connected in spaced parallel relation by riveted spanner studs 25, and within which is sup- This rotor is connected to bearing pertures'32 in the frame plates 24, see Fig." engagement-mt e aligned? apertures 14 of the truck, frame or chassis. Spring contact elements 33, for engagement with the power rail, are also secured to the motor frame, and at one end of the frame there is secured a reversing switch 34, the handle 85 of which projects into a recess 36in the side portion 11 of the chassis at one side.

In assembling the motor unit with thecab unit the side portions 11 of the truck frame are sprung outwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and the motor frame is slid upwardly into the opening 16, the length of the side plates 24 being slightly less than the distance between oneend of said opening 16 and the base of the recess 18, while the spacing and thickness of said plates is such relatively to the projecting portion 17 and the recess 18 that said portion 17 engages snugly between said plates, and said plates are snugly engaged within said recess at the other end. The axle ends of the flanged wheels 30 are of sufficient length tobe inserted in the apertures 14 of the side portions of the frame 10, which as above pointed out are sprung outwardly for this purpose, and which when released resume their right angular retaining relation, as shown in Fig. l. The wheels 30 project at their upper portions into the larger opening 16 at each side of the portions 19. V

In this assembled relation the motor unit and cab unit are securely connected and rigidly supported against relative movement, the engagen'ient of the axles in the apertures 14 and the interlocking relation between the portion 17 and the recess 18 ofthe opening 16 and the motor frame insuring a rigid centrally aligned assembly in which both vertical and lateral movement is prevented. In order to remove the motor unit it is only necessary to spring the sides 11 of the chassis frame outwardly, .to the dotted line position Fig. 4, to release the axle ends, whereupon the'motor unit may be slid from the cab unit. The construction provides a reliable and simple toy locomotive structure, which may be conveniently assembled, and in which the motor unit may be easily removed and replaced, without the necessity for removing screws, or other means, or of bending attachnent lugs with the danger of crystallization and breakage incident thereto.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,-what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 7 i 1. In a toy train locomotive, a cab unit in cluding-a truck frame and cab, said cab unit having a motor receiving opening and axle receiving portions, and a-motor unit includ ing wheels having axles projecting at each end, said opening and axles receiving portions adapted to removably connect said units to prevent relative vertical and lateral movement.

2. In a toy train locomotive, a cab unit including a cab, a truck frame having a motor f 'ame receiving opening and axle receiving portions therein, a motor unit including a.

frame, a motor, and wheels having axles supported in said frame and projected at each end for detachable engagement with said axle receiving portions, said frame being ongaged in said opening of the truck frame, said opening having portions adapted to interlockingly engage .said frame'to position it against lateral movement centrally within said opening. 7

3. In a toy train locomotive, a cab unit including a cab, a truck frame having a motor frame receiving opening therein, and depend ing side portions having axle receiving portions therein, a motor unit including a frame, a motor, and wheels having axles supported in said frame and having their ends projected from the wheels, said axle ends being engaged in said receiving portions to fix the motor unit against movement in the truck frame, the said depending side portions being adjustable to permit of the attachment and removal of said axles and motor frame. 4. In a toy train'locomotive, including a truck frame having side portions extending including a floor portion and flexible side portions bent downwardly at each" side thereof, said floor portion havlng a motor frame receivlng opening therein, and sa1d side portions having axle receiving portions there-- in, and a motor .unit including a frame, 1

a motor, and wheels having axles supported in said frame and projected at each side, said frame being engaged and positioned in said openings, locking the truck frame against lateral movement, and said axle ends being engaged in said axle receiving portions to fix the motor unit against vertical movement and being disenga-geable therefrom by flexing of said side portions outwardly. v

.6. In atoy train locomotive, a. truck frame including a floor portion and side portions ex tending downwardly at each side thereof, said floor portion having a motor frame receiving opening therein, and said side portions having axle receiving apertures therein, and a motor unit including a frame, a motor, and wheels having axles supported in said frame and projected at each end, said frame being engaged in said opening of the truck frame, said opening having portions adapted to interlockingly engage said frame to position it against lateral movement centrally within said opening, and said axle ends being engaged in said axle receiving apertures to fix the motor unit against vertical move- 'ment.

7. In a toy train locomotive, a truck frame including a floor portion and sideportions extending downwardly at each side thereof, said floor portion having a motor frame receiving opening therein, and said side portions having axle receiving portions therein, and a motor unit including a frame, a motor, and wheels having axles supported in said frame and projected at each end, said frame being engaged in said opening of the truck frame, said opening having portions adapted to interlockingly engage said frame to position it against lateral movement central-1y within said opening, and having Wheel receiving portions at each side of said frame, and said axle ends being engaged in said axle receiving portions to fix the motor unit against vertical movement.

8. In a toy train locomotive, a truck frame including a top portion and side portions extending downwardly at each side thereof, said top portion having a motor frame receiving opening therein, and said side portions having axle receiving apertures therein, and a motor unit including a frame having a pair of vertically disposed spaced parallel side plates, a motor, and wheels having axles supported in said frame and projected at each end, said frame being engaged in said opening of the truck frame, said opening having means at its ends adapted to interlockingly engage a the side plates of the frame at each end to position it against lateral movement centrally within said opening, and said axle ends being engaged in said axle receiving apertures to fix the motor unit against vertical movement.

9. Ina toy train locomotive, a truck frame including a top portion and side portions extending downwardly at each side thereof, said top portion having a motor frame receiving opening therein, and said side portion having axle receiving portions therein, and a motor unit including a frame having a pair of vertically disposed spaced parallel side plates, a motor, and wheels having axles supported in said frame and projected at each end, said frame being engaged in said opening of the truck frame, said opening having a project- I ing portion centrally at one end adapted to engage between said side plates of the frame at one end and a recessed portion centrally at the other end adapted to embrace said side plates to position the frame against lateral movement centrally within said opening and I said axle ends being engaged in said axle re I ceiving portions to fix the motor unit against ing axle ends detach-ably engaging the axle receiving portions of the side portions of the truck frame, and adapted to removably connect the truck frame and motor unit.

11. In a toy train locomotive, a truck frame including a floor portion having a motor receiving opening therein, and depending longitudinal side portions with aligned axle receiving apertures, a motor unit including a frame adapted to fit the opening of the floor portion and including wheels having axles projected from said frame for detachable engagement with the axle receiving portion of the truck frame.

12. In a toy train locomotive, a truck frame including a floor portion having a motor receiving opening therein, with an inwardly disposed projection at one end, a motor unit including a frame comprising-spaced apart side plates adapted to receive therebetween the projection at one end of the opening, and

means for holding'the motor unit against V81;

tical movement.

13. In a toy train locomotive, a truck frame including a floor portion having a motor receiving opening therein, with an inwardly disposed projection at one end and a recess at the other end, a motor unit including a frame comprising spaced apart side plates adapted to receive therebetween the projection at one end of the opening and to fit into the recess of the other end of the floor, and means for holding the motor unit against vertical movement;

Signed at Bridgeport in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut this 31st day of October A; D. 1925.

HARRY C. IVES. 

